Introducing

THE TURNCOAT

CABAL
Choose one of these profiles:
Power+1 reach=0 trust+1 ambition+2
Power+1 reach+1 trust+2 ambition+1
Power+2 reach+1 trust=0 ambition+1
Power=0 reach+2 trust+1 ambition+2
Choose the cabal's leader type:

Slaver (impulse: to own/sell people)

Hive queen (impulse: to consume/swarm)
Prophet (impulse: to denounce/overthrow)
Dictator (impulse: to control)
Collector (impulse: to own)
Alpha wolf (impulse: to hunt/dominate)

For each point of power, choose an asset

the cabal possesses:
An odious brainer, a clever savvyhead,
a fierce militia, or considerable wealth.

LEADER
POWER
AMBITION

TRUST
REACH

Who knows? If you keep your target in sight, your employers happy and the
locals in the dark, you just might get out alive.
a character playbook for

ASSETS

For each point of reach, choose an asset

the cabal possesses:
A fleet of vehicles, a nearby safehouse,
radio communications, or a second
agent nearby.
For each point of trust, choose what
leverage your cabal uses to ensure your
loyalty (minimum 1):
Money, promises of power, blackmail,
a cure for some affliction or loved ones
held hostage.

In a world filled with concrete compounds and gangs of gunluggers, hardholders

war upon each other with abandon, making moves as hard and direct as they
like. It's just that sometimes hard and direct won't get the job done. Sometimes
they need a watchful eye, a deft hand, a knife in the dark. Sometimes they need
someone like you.

APOCALYPSE
by Nick Doyle with
thanks to Michael Pfaff.

ADDITIONAL RULES

WORLD

BARTER PERIPHERAL MOVES

LEVERAGE

TASKS
When assigned a task, your cabal expects you to complete it quickly and with as
much descretion as possible. Complete a task successfully and you get +1trust
(+2trust if it was risky). Failure means you get -1trust (again, -2trust if it was
risky).
You may call upon your cabal to employ its resources on your behalf during the
course of a task. You may make use of one asset for each point of trust the
cabal possesses (assuming you have a positive trust score; if it's negative you're
on your own). Compromising an asset or wasting resources without results will
give you -1trust.
Trust cannot be raised higher than +3 or drop lower than -3. Any time your trust
would increase beyond +3, it resets to trust+1 and you may call upon one of your
cabal's assets for personal use (your bosses are happy with you). Any time your
trust would drop below -3, it resets to trust-1 and the MC will have the cabal
twist the screws, possibly by bringing its leverage into play or employing one of
its assets against you (to teach you a lesson).

When you give 1-barter to someone, but with strings attached, it counts
as manipulating them and hitting the roll with a 10+, no roll required.
When you go into a holdings bustling market, looking for some particular
thing to buy, and its not obvious whether you should be able to just go buy
one like that, roll+sharp. On a 10+, yes, you can just go buy it like that. On a
79, the MC chooses one of the following:
it costs 1-barter more than youd expect
its available, but only if you meet with a guy who knows a guy
damn, I had one, I just sold it to this guy named Rolfball, maybe you can go get it
off him?
sorry, I dont have that, but maybe this will do instead?
When you make known that you want a thing and drop jingle to speed
it on its way, roll+barter spent (max roll+3). It has to be a thing you could
legitimately get this way. On a 10+ it comes to you, no strings attached. On
a 79 it comes to you, or something pretty close. On a miss, it comes to you,
but with strings very much attached.

COVERT GEAR
You possess two:
poison syringe (3-harm ap tag)
silenced 9mm (2-harm close hi-tech)
3-barter for bribes
deep ear plugs (worn, hi-tech) [brainer]
garrote (2-harm ap intimate)
miniaturized radio (hi-tech)
explosive charge (4-harm area messy timer)
blackmail information, treat as leverage when manipulating

CREATING A TURNCOAT
To create your turncoat, choose name, look, stats, moves, cabal, and Hx.

NAME

LOOK

Connor, Doyle, Flemming, Six, Fisher,

Born, Jack, Boris, Sterling, or Chuck.

Man, woman, ambiguous, or

transgressing.

Simone, Tara, Harriet, Emma, Sarah,

Natasha, Modesty, Lana, or Mallory.

Luxe wear, utility wear, scrounge

wear, casual wear, or scavenge
wear.

STATS
Choose one set:
Cool+2 Hard+1 Hot=0 Sharp+1 Weird-1
Cool+2 Hard=0 Hot+1 Sharp+1 Weird-1
Cool+2 Hard-1 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird=0
Cool+2 Hard-1 Hot+1 Sharp=0 Weird+1

MOVES
You get all the basic moves. You get
Intrigue! and any two other turncoat
moves.

HX
Everyone introduces their characters by
name, look and outlook. Take your turn.
List the other characters names.
Go around again for Hx. On your turn:
Tell everyone Hx-1. Your life depends
on keeping secrets.
On the others turns, for each, ask
yourself: are they going to get in the way
of you carrying out your work?
If not: whatever number that player
tells you, write it next to the characters
name.
If they are: whatever number that
player tells you, give it +1 and write it
next to the characters name. They have
your attention.
At the end, find the character with the
highest Hx on your sheet. Ask that player
which of your stats is most interesting,
and highlight it. The MC will have you
highlight a second stat too.

Friendly face, open face, worn

face, soft face, handsome face,
or honest face.
Cool eyes, calculating eyes,
clear eyes, sharp eyes,
appraising eyes, or guarded
eyes.
Sturdy body, slim body, wiry
body, fat body, tall spare body,
or stocky body.

NAME

STATS

Handy weapons (choose 1):

9mm (2-harm close loud)
big knife (2-harm hand)
hunting rifle (2-harm far loud)
machete (3-harm hand messy)
magnum (3-harm close reload
loud)
sawed-off ( 3-harm close reload
messy)
stun gun (s-harm hand reload)

IMPROVEMENT
Whenever you roll a
highlighted stat, and whenever
you reset your Hx with
someone, mark an experience
circle. When you mark the 5th ,
improve and erase.
Each time you improve, choose
one of the options. Check it off;
you cant choose it again.

MOVES
do something
under fire

COOL

Intrigue!: your masters often call upon you to perform dangerous or

unsavory tasks. At the start of the session, roll+ambition for your cabal.
On a hit, you are assigned a task by your masters. On a 10+, the task is
risky. On a 7-9 it is merely delicate, awkward or inconvenient. On a miss,
you are expected only to keep your eyes open for interesting opportunities.

HX
help or interfere; session end

highlight

HARD

highlight

seduce or
manipulate

HOT

highlight

read a sitch;
read a person

SHARP

highlight

TURNCOAT SPECIAL
If you and another character have sex,
you can request some favour from the other
character as though you had rolled 10+ on a
manipulation move, and requiring no
leverage on your part. They also get -1Hx
with you. Guess they don't know you as well
as they thought.

open your brain

WEIRD
HARM

highlight

IMPROVEMENT > >>improve

experience

countdown

12

3
6
stabilized

shattered (-1cool)
crippled (-1hard)
disfigured (-1hot)
broken (-1sharp)

Stick to your story: when you manipulate or seduce someone, roll+cool

instead of roll+hot.
Knife in the dark: when you attack from hiding or from a circumstance
prepared by you in advance, your harm is armor piercing.
Pants on fire: whenever someone reads you with a move and asks you if
you're telling the truth, the answer is always 'yes'.

go aggro;
seize by force

GEAR
You get:
1 handy weapon
2 covert gear
oddments worth 2-barter
fashion suitable to your look
including at your option a
piece worth 1-armor(you detail)

TURNCOAT MOVES

LOOK

__ get +1hard (max hard+2)

__ get +1weird (max weird+2)
__ get +1cool (max cool+3)
__ get +1hot (max hot+2)
__ get +1sharp (max sharp+2)
__ get a new turncoat move
__ get a new turncoat move
__ get 2 gigs(detail) and moonlighting
__ get a move from another playbook
__ get a move from another playbook
__ get +1 to any stat (max stat+3)
__ retire your character (to safety)
__ create a second character to play
__ change your character to a new type
__ choose 3 basic moves and advance them.
__ advance the other 4 basic moves.

Slippery: people must spend twice as much hold as usual to affect you or
gain information about you (including through read a person or read a sitch).
If they cannot pay this increased cost you remain unaffected by their move, or
they receive no information pertaining to you. Additionally, characters may
not carry +forward against you.
Break and enter: you are talented at gaining access to places you have no
business being (eg. the hardholder's quarters, the armoury's grenade cache, or
out of a locked cell). When you attempt to enter or exit such a place, roll+cool.
On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 2:
you get where you wanted to be.
you remain undetected while getting there.
you leave no trace of ever having been there.
you stumble across something useful or interesting along the way.
In the wind: name your escape route and roll+cool. On a 10+ youre
gone. On a 79, you can go or stay, but if you go it costs you: leave something
behind, or take something with you, the MC will tell you what. On a miss,
youre caught vulnerable, half in and half out.

GEAR & FASHION

HOLD

OTHER MOVES